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Six stories in the news today, Oct. 18

Oct 18, 2016 | 1:30 AM

Six stories in the news for Tuesday, Oct. 18

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OTTAWA PREPARES TO DISCUSS HEALTH SPENDING 

Health Minister Jane Philpott faces a tough discussion with her provincial and territorial counterparts today in Toronto. The health ministers are opposed to a federal plan to slash the rate of increase on health transfers. Ottawa maintains it will apply a three per cent increase on the transfers in April even though provinces and territories say this would mean a $1-billion shortfall nationally in 2017-2018.

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EU MINISTERS TO VOTE ON CANADA-EUROPE TRADE DEAL

European Union trade ministers are scheduled to vote today on the Canada-Europe trade agreement that has the powerful backing of Europe’s 28 member states and Canada.  The path to signing the treaty, however, remains uncertain, thanks to vociferous opposition from the comparably tiny Wallonia region of Belgium — home to just 3.5 million people. 

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CREWS TAKE FUEL OFF SUNKEN TUG ON B.C. COAST

Salvage crews have begun siphoning more than 200,000 litres of diesel from a sunken tug off British Columbia’s central coast. Draining the tanks on the Nathan E. Stewart was expected to take up to 40 hours. The tug was pushing an empty barge when it ran onto some rocks last Tuesday at the mouth of Seaforth Channel near Bella Bella. Officials say leaking fuel is being contained by a boom.

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TSB RENEWS CALL FOR BLACK BOXES ON SMALL PLANES

The Transportation Safety Board is again calling for flight data or cockpit voice recorders to be carried on smaller planes after a jet crash last week in B.C. killed four people including former Alberta premier Jim Prentice. Without the recorders, the board said the investigation into the crash Thursday near Kelowna of the Cessna Citation will be “particularly challenging.” The plane involved in the crash was not required to carry the devices.

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CHINESE BILLIONAIRE TO DISCUSS FOREIGN TAX WITH TRUDEAU

Chinese billionaire Frank Wu, who is also chairman of Central China Real Estate Ltd., says he plans to discuss British Columbia’s tax on foreigners purchasing homes in Vancouver with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau today. He is part of a Chinese delegation of billionaires touring Canada this week who want to strengthen economic ties between the two countries.

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APPEAL OF OLAND CONVICTION BEGINS TODAY

Lawyers for Dennis Oland head to New Brunswick’s Court of Appeal today in a bid to overturn his guilty verdict in the bludgeoning death of his father, Richard Oland. Dennis Oland, 48, was convicted last December on a charge of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison with no eligibility for parole for at least 10 years.

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The Canadian Press